


A Day At The Carnival

by JustGalactic



Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders
Genre: Angst, Gen, angst for the sake of angst, joan and talyn make a small appearance bc i love them., tw for blood/violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 18:34:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14837009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustGalactic/pseuds/JustGalactic
Summary: Thomas isolates himself, and that can't have a good impact on the sides. When Thomas doesn't talk to anyone, not even his fans, the sides find themselves trapped in a terrifyingly familiar carnival.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was something I wrote a while ago and it's been on my computer for...months, probably almost a year. I genuinely don't really know how I feel about it, as it's very different from my usual stuff and not really my current style, but I decided to post it anyway.

Thomas felt broken. Everything inside of him wanted to scream, and he wanted to curl into a ball on the floor and just stop existing. It all felt too painful, far too painful to bear. Isolating himself from his friends and family, and even the fans…he’d thought it would only be for a day or so, just to allow his mind to recuperate. It had been almost a month, and Thomas was falling apart. He’d tried to call the sides, but they never came. He could only hope that they were alright.

“Virgil, you need to calm down!” Logan’s voice cut through the chaos that was starting to fill Thomas’ mind. They’d been trying to hold on for a while, but a recent meeting where they wanted to decide what to do had only served to send Virgil into a tailspin.

“Don’t you think I’m trying?!” Virgil spat back at him. The wind, coming from seemingly nowhere, picked up, and it knocked Patton to the ground. Logan and Roman held onto a table to keep themselves secured. Virgil was in the center, unaffected by the gust. He stood in the eye of the storm. Patton tried to stand, but the wind was too strong, and it kept him glued to the ground. Hot tears started to sting at his eyes.

“I’m sorry!” Patton cried out over the noise, as his emotions started to warp the mindscape as well. He should’ve been more adamant about forcing Thomas to stop isolating himself, but now it was too late. The floor underneath them started to cave in, and it broke off in pieces, falling into a black abyss below them. It was so dark, entirely void of color or light. The floor in front of Patton broke, and he tried to crawl backwards, still fighting the wind. Logan climbed onto the table, holding the edge as tight as he could. His knuckles were white as snow.

“Don’t you remember what happened last time?!” Logan screamed, and the sheer terror in his voice made it clear to all of them that he vividly remembered it. His fear crept through the mindscape, made the shapes of objects uncertain of themselves. Everything was blurring into each other. Roman drew his sword, hands trembling. He was the only one still holding onto sanity, he _had_ to stay calm, otherwise-

It was already too late. He watched as the holes in the floor seemed to ooze with darkness, inky black nothing that stuck to Roman’s feet like tar. Patton, on the ground, had already been covered completely. Roman turned to see Virgil, pressed against the wall, eyes wide with fear as it passed his shins, and started to envelope his thighs. As Logan became increasingly anxious, Virgil’s face blurred into a blob of color that Roman couldn’t even recognize. Roman swung his sword, desperately trying to hack through the dark goop, but his sword simply became stuck, and soon his hands were enveloped in blackness as well.

Logan, still clinging to the table, looked around, searching hopelessly for a way to escape. He felt something surround his hands, and looked down, dismayed to see the darkness covering the tabletop. He watched as Virgil seemed to shrink into the black abyss. He saw Roman’s face twitch as the side tried to fight, even at the last moment. Logan closed his eyes, knowing what was to come. He felt as it rose over his head, and then everything was dark.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Logan opened his eyes, and looked around. He jumped, startled by what he saw. It was millions of versions of himself, stretching on into infinity. He reached out towards one iteration of himself, and all of the others followed suit. His hand slowly stretched out until his fingertips met glass.

“Of course…a mirror maze,” Logan murmured to himself, trying his best to ignore his rapidly pounding heart.

The last and only other time this had happened, Thomas had been in high school. Logan had found himself in a maze of corn that stretched over his head. The others had shared their stories, shared where they had gone. Logan refused to. He did not acknowledge the existence of this damned carnival. Nor did he acknowledge the scrapes and bruises that littered his body after he returned.

It was a fact he kept to himself, but Logan did not like mazes. Sure, logically, if you followed one wall, eventually you’d get out. But not knowing what hid behind the corners, being so isolated and alone terrified him. That last time he’d been trapped in a maze, his mind had gotten away from him. He still had nightmares about it. Still, there was no time to waste. He had to find the others. So Logan began to walk through the maze.

\---

Roman’s eyes shot open, and he tried to sit up. Something held him tight to his seat. Turning his head, Roman could see the restraints of a roller coaster securing his shoulders. The loudspeaker overhead crackled, and a demonic voice spoke.

“Please keep hands and feet inside of the car at all times. Enjoy the ride!” As the wheels began to clank along the track, Roman heard the demonic voice start to cackle. The car seemed to be entirely deserted, with the exception of the princely figure himself. This did nothing to comfort him.

The ride continued to make its way along the track, and started to climb a step hill. Roman looked up, and he couldn’t see the top of it. He knew he would be there for a long time, and started to take stock of his surroundings. A carnival from Thomas’ youth.

It had been over a decade since the sides had visited the version that Thomas’ mind had invented. It had certainly gone through some upgrades. Everything was darker, and the sounds were more bone-chilling than Roman remembered. He thought about the state he and the others had been in after the first time, and prayed that this would be better.

However, he had a sinking feeling that this would be far worse.

\---

Something was digging into Virgil’s wrists, and he started to move them. Quickly, he winced in pain and opened his eyes. A pair of rusty metal handcuffs dug into the pale skin of his arms. His arms were in front of him, wrapped around some sort of golden pole. As the fuzziness in his brain cleared, Virgil realized where he was. He sat atop an ornately colored horse, and groaned as it started to spin.

The horse bobbed up and down, and music started to crackle from hidden speakers. As the ride started to speed up, Virgil’s head throbbed, and his stomach churned. It seemed to have no intention of slowing, indeed, the carousel went faster and faster with each rotation.

Virgil remembered the first time, and tried to recall how they had escaped. However, that was a dark spot in his memory, and trying to think about it made his head ache even more. Virgil decided that the first time had been far better than the torture he was being subjected to now.

\---

Patton’s eyes blinked open, and he started to stretch his arms. The movement however, made him wobble, and he quickly grabbed the wooden platform he was sitting on in order to steady himself. Looking forward, he realized he sat in a tank, and he noticed the glass lid above him, keeping him trapped inside. There seemed to be small vents that allowed air to flow through, but nothing more. Below him was murky water that seemed to stretch forever.

He then noticed the crowd of faceless figures surrounding him. One of them held a baseball. They tossed it somewhere beside Patton. He heard the ‘clunk’ of a baseball hitting wood, and listened as it rolled away. Patton breathed a sigh of relief, and the figure’s shoulders drooped as they grabbed another ball. They tossed it again, and this time, Patton heard the ringing of bells beside him. Even without any facial features, Patton could tell that the blob was excited. But why-

The platform underneath him retracted, and he splashed into the water below. Instinctively, his legs kicked, and his arms flailed. He rose out of the water, but the water too was rising, and soon it filled the entire tank. He felt the pressure of it on his chest, realized that he couldn’t breathe, his flailing became more desperate. His muscles quickly ached at the lack of oxygen, and he started to sink, feeling his consciousness being dragged away from him…

A mechanical hand yanked him out of the water that had started to drain from around him, and placed Patton back on the platform that had reappeared. His shoulders heaved as he coughed up water, and he could hear muted laughter from the crowd outside of the tank. Another figure stepped forward, baseball in hand. Patton tensed. They threw the ball, and bells went off loudly. Patton took a quick, deep breath before the platform disappeared and he was submerged once again in the dunk tank.


	3. Chapter 3

The roller coaster chugged even higher and higher, and Roman sat there, at the mercy of the car. He started to wonder about the others, and as he did, that same demonic voice crept into his thoughts.

“You want to see them?” He tensed, but nodded firmly. He had to know if they were okay. The voice chuckled in his ear. “Just remember, it was your decision,” it hissed.

Visions started to pop into his head. He saw Virgil, the rusted handcuffs, being spun around and around, screaming for someone to help him. Roman realized how hoarse the side’s voice was, and his heart broke, he wondered how long Virgil had been screaming.

Then he saw Logan, running, out of breath, bumping into mirrors and glass. Bruises started to litter his arms, but he didn’t seem to care. He frantically searched for a way out. His labored breaths stung Roman’s ears.

Finally, Patton. He was huddled into himself on a small wooden platform. Suddenly, water surrounded him, and he didn’t even try to fight it, his limbs were too tired. The people around him only laughed, and Roman tensed, anger at the crowd filling his body. He needed to help them. Roman struggled against the restraints, but to no avail. He was powerless, unable to save them. Tears raced down his cheeks as the roller coaster continued climbing into the cold night air.

\---

Patton hugged his knees to his chest, and his teeth chattered from the cold. Every inch of him was sopping wet. He watched the crowd, then noticed how it parted to reveal a solitary figure. Their face was painfully familiar.

“J-Joan?” Patton squeaked out. They didn’t seem to hear him. Something about their face was wrong. It made chills race down Patton’s spine. Joan’s eyes stared right through Patton, and they didn’t even acknowledge him. Instead, they picked up a baseball, and threw it.

The clanging of bells ran through Patton’s ears, and he didn’t bother struggling. The water filled his lungs, it felt like burning fire against his entire body, until he was greeted with the air again. This time, another smaller figure stood next to Joan. As they smirked and tossed a ball, Patton meekly whimpered,

“Talyn…no…” before the bells went off, and he was surrounded by ice cold water once more.

\---

Virgil’s throat burned. He couldn’t scream any more, and no one had come to his rescue. All that he could do now was cry. And so he did. Virgil sobbed as he was spun faster and faster, the tears flying from his face.

His stomach continued to flip, and his mind swam. Virgil’s jaw started to quiver, his throat started to lurch, and then he turned his head, and felt himself vomit off of the side of the carousel. The stench immediately hit him, and he almost vomited again from that smell alone. The taste lingered in his mouth, sour and bitter.

Every time he passed the green puddle on the ground, it seemed to smell worse and worse. His eyes closed, and he decided that if he was asleep, at least he wouldn’t feel the pain. So, he let his mind drift.

An electric current ran through the pole in front of him, jolting him awake. A demonic voice interrupted the music.

“No sleeping on the job!” it teased, and Virgil groaned as the carousel spun faster.

\---

Logan ran into another mirror. He didn’t even care anymore, he just needed to get out. He’d tried to smash the mirrors, but he was too weak, and only ended up with bruised knuckles. He turned another corner, and screamed in frustration when he saw his face again.

Even though he knew it wouldn’t do anything, he swung and punched at his face reflected in the mirror. He hated seeing it over and over again. While he had the same face as the others, there were key differences. If it had been Patton’s face reflected billions of times, it would’ve been adorned with a smile, or at least a twinkle in his eyes. Virgil’s would’ve greeted him with a smirk and an eye roll. Roman’s would’ve had an indescribable air of confidence.

Instead, all Logan had was himself. His boring self. He punched at his face in the mirror again, wishing it would just go away.


	4. Chapter 4

Patton tried to offer the crowd a smile, tried to be kind and beg to be set free. That only served to anger them more, and soon none of them were missing shots. Again and again, submerged in the freezing water. Looking down, he saw how his fingers were almost as blue as his soaking wet shirt. Soon, all of the figures had faces. Joan and Talyn still stood there, cackling menacingly. Now, Thomas’ other friends were joining them. Valerie laughed as he started to cry, and Terrence kept throwing balls, one after the other. Then, three figures stepped out from the crowd.

One wore glasses and a tie. His movements were mechanical, almost robotic. He tossed a ball, and Patton heard the awful ringing of bells. As he splashed into the water, he heard the robotic creature say,

“Just like him. Always so weak and emotional.”

He was back up, and the next figure stood in front of him wearing an ornately designed gold and red outfit. He danced merrily as he tossed the baseball, seemingly unaware of the anguish on Patton’s face. He proudly posed and showed off as the ringing of the bells echoed through the park.

Out of the water again, and the third figure was staring at him. His hood was pulled up, so Patton couldn’t see his face clearly. As he gently tossed the ball with one hand, he pulled his hood down with the other, revealing his eyes. Patton saw Virgil’s face, a sick, twisted smile spread wide across it, but tears gushed from his eyes. The sight was unsettling to say the least, and seeing Virgil sobbing made Patton want to scream.

When he dropped down the next time, Patton banged his head against the wall, hoping to knock himself unconscious. A large bruise started to form on his forehead, and every time he fell into the water, he’d try a bit harder.

\---

The images of his friends being tortured still flashed in Roman’s mind. He felt the cold surrounding Patton, felt the awful aching of Virgil, and the sheer terror of Logan. He continued to struggle against the restraints.

Then he felt the electric shocks coursing through Virgil’s body. Roman convulsed in the seat of the roller coaster.

He saw himself reflected in Patton’s eyes, laughing at his friend’s pain. Roman wanted to scream, wanted to let Patton know that _that person wasn’t him!_

He saw gushing blood, and could only assume that it was Logan’s. That was the final straw.

Roman pushed against the seat with all of his might, he fought as hard as he could-

A sick _crunch_ filled Roman’s ears. Immediately, his shoulder felt as if it was on fire. Fighting against the restraint, he must’ve dislocated it. Roman let out a pained cry. The demonic voice appeared back in his thoughts.

“Now, let’s get this ride started, shall we?” Roman looked around, and realized he was finally at the top of the hill. He shrieked as the world seemed to drop out from under him. The extra force against his shoulder made him sob uncontrollably. The ride twisted upside down, forcing all of his weight onto his shoulder. Roman’s guttural shout of pain burned through his throat. There didn’t seem to be an end in sight for the rollercoaster.

\---

Logan saw his face, again and again and again and again. He couldn’t stand looking at the same thing any more. He felt his mind, terrified and anxious, slipping away from him. He tried to control himself, tried to simply breathe. He didn’t want a repeat of last time. But he ran into another mirror, another one of himself. He knew that he couldn’t stand it anymore. Looking in the mirror at his tired eyes and slightly deranged face, he brought his fingers to his cheek. Slowly and deliberately, he raked his nails across his face. Over and over until blood was gushing from his face, until he was shrieking with pain.

Now this face was new. Different. This was something that Logan could handle. He ignored the pain.

He continued making his way through the maze, but quickly learned to hate the new face he saw. So, he reached his hand up to his scalp. He grabbed the roots of his hair and yanked as hard as he could. Screaming in pain, he looked down at his hand, and saw a chunk of dyed purple hair.

This continued, he would hate what he saw in the mirrors, tear out a part of himself, and then continue on. As he kept doing it, the time that it took for him to start hating his reflection once again became shorter and shorter. Soon, he found himself breaking his glasses, tearing off his pant legs, clawing through his shirt, ripping off his tie with his teeth and tossing the fabric to the ground. A trail of fabric and blood followed him through the maze.       

His own mind had betrayed him, what was the point if he didn’t have his mind anymore? He would probably claw himself to death, if death was even possible in the hellscape he now existed in.

\---

Virgil decided that he couldn’t take it anymore; he needed to leave. He took a leap of faith, and swung one of his legs over the side of the horse. His hands were still attached, however, and now he was being swung about like a rag doll. He tried to tell himself that anything was better than doing nothing, but as the force of the out of control carousel banged him against the ground, he couldn’t be so sure.

His legs and body were swung around, hitting everything in sight. His leg smacked against another horse, and he saw out of the corner of his eye how it bent at an unnatural angle.

His hoodie got caught in machinery that was precariously out in the open, and it tore off, getting trapped in the gears. Suddenly, he had an idea. Ignoring his pounding headache, he started to take off his shoe with his foot. Whatever was controlling the park seemed to have caught on to his idea, and sent electrical shocks through the pole. Still, he kept going, even as his entire body was racked with pain.

Finally, his shoe hung off of just his toes. He took a deep breath, and kicked the shoe towards the machinery. It caught in the gear, jamming it. The carousel came to a screeching halt. It was still trying to spin, however, and the machinery imploded on itself, causing the entire ride to burst apart.

The pole became disconnected from the horse, and Virgil was able to slide his hands off of it. They were still handcuffed together, but now he was free of the shocks, and free to run around the park.

He had to find the others.


	5. Chapter 5

Limping, Virgil followed the large crowd of people until he came to a dunk tank. The loud ringing bells hurt his ears. He stood on his toes, a sinking feeling in his stomach as he wondered who was in the tank. Sure enough, he saw Patton, soaking wet and trembling, perched on a wooden platform. He sprinted, as best he could with his injured leg, to the front of the crowd. The faceless human who stood in front of the tank held three baseballs in his hand.

“Give it your best shot.” The voice didn’t seem to come from the shape in front of him, but instead it simply appeared in Virgil’s brain, making chills run down his spine. Looking between Patton and the target, a plan took shape in his head.

Patton stared at Virgil. He knew that this wasn’t the Virgil who had been crying before. This one looked more real. This one was _his_ Virgil. But this Virgil took the baseballs, just like the first. He wasn’t really going to do it, was he?

Hands still connected by the cuffs, Virgil picked up one ball in both of his hands, and raised them above his head. He launched it forward, and it hit the target perfectly. Patton looked terrified and betrayed, and Virgil winced as he heard Patton splash into the water. Quickly, he grabbed the other two. He threw those in the same way, this time at the tank itself. They smashed through the glass, and water began rushing out, along with a very relieved Patton. The two ran from the crowd, hiding behind an abandoned food cart.

Patton stared, dismayed at Virgil’s twisted leg, battered body, and torn clothing. Virgil wrapped his arms around Patton, trying to give the shaking man whatever warmth he could. Patton’s clothes clung tight to his body, sopping wet with ice cold water.

“W-we have to f-find the oth-thers,” Patton said, his teeth clattering with cold. Virgil nodded, agreeing. He was unsure where to start, and looked around the park. He winced at the Ferris wheel; it brought back painful memories of their first visit. Then, he noticed a tall rollercoaster. The cars seemed to have only one passenger, and his screams seemed far more pained than excited. Carefully, leaning on Patton for support, Virgil made his way towards the entrance to the coaster.

The two of them watched as the car Roman sat in careened by. Virgil saw the station for the car, and limped to the control panel. The buttons were clearly labeled, but he had to time it perfectly. He knew that Roman had seen him, and he yelled out,

“Roman, get ready!” Virgil waited for the car to reach a small section of mostly straight track that was near the ground, and pressed the button to lift the harness. Roman jumped up and rolled out onto the ground, grunting in pain as he landed on his shoulder. Patton and Virgil stood beside him, helping their friend to his feet. Slowly, they made their way through the park, searching for any sign of Logan.

Roman walked briskly; running too fast would cause him to buckle from the pain racing through his shoulder. Virgil carried the trembling Patton on his back, as he hobbled weakly around the attractions. As they walked, a pained scream erupted from a nearby building. Looking over, Roman read the sign aloud.

“The Maze of Mirrors.” Without another word, they dashed inside. Patton hopped from Virgil’s back, his chill temporarily forgotten as worry flooded his senses. Virgil’s legs moved much faster than before. The pain in Roman’s shoulder didn’t bother him, as concern filled his mind. “Logan!” He yelled. The others joined in, calling his name.

Logan punched his hand against a mirror, crying out as his finger finally broke. The bones bent at an unnatural angle, and it made him sick. Suddenly, he heard his name.

“Patton?” he hoarsely called. “Roman? Virgil?” He spun around, looking for his friends. All he could see was his own face reflected over and over. Then, Logan started to realize that this was not the case. Some faces weren’t bleeding as badly as him, they had more hope than he could muster. He followed the sound of his name being called and the reflections of his friends, until he finally saw them, standing at the front. Logan collapsed into a heap at their feet. Virgil gasped.

“What…what happened to you?” he asked. Logan looked up to see Virgil, leaning on the wall for support, knees seeming like they might buckle at any moment. Patton was beside him, curled in on himself and trembling. Roman winced as he held his shoulder.

“I could ask the same to you.”

“Oh, Logan!” Patton wrapped himself around his friend, ignoring the dripping blood. Virgil hobbled over, and held an arm around Patton, giving him warmth. Roman held the others tight, and they all felt safe for the first time that night.

Patton suggested that they stay in the mirror maze, but as he said it, Logan’s face went pale and his hands started to tremble. So they found the abandoned food cart that Patton and Virgil had hidden behind earlier. Virgil used what was left of his hoodie as a blanket for Patton, and Roman tore off his shirt, gently wiping the blood from Logan’s face. As for Virgil and Roman’s injuries…those would have to wait. Finally starting to warm up, Patton turned to Logan.

“How did we get out of here last time?”

Logan paused. When he tried to remember, it was simply a dark space in his mind. Roman and Virgil shook their heads, none of them could recall.

“Well, the mindscape started falling apart when Thomas isolated himself…didn’t it?” Logan asked. The others were stunned by the authenticity of his question. He never doubted himself before. What had that maze done to him? Roman nodded in response. “Then Thomas has to stop being isolated…I guess since he was in school the last time, it was impossible not to be around his friends eventually. But now…”

“Who knows when or even _if_ that’ll happen,” Virgil finished for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Luckily, they found a discarded bolt cutter, and Logan was able to cut the link between the cuffs one Virgil. The restraints themselves still stayed on his wrists; Logan didn’t want to risk cutting that close to Virgil’s skin. Still, without casts or slings or even a warm shower, their injuries were only getting worse. And their mental states were deteriorating quickly.

Patton flinched at any sound or movement outside of the cart they hunkered down in. Virgil and Roman could both hear that taunting, demonic voice echoing in their heads. Logan was the worst. He was filled with doubt, curling in on himself, and refusing to let the others comfort him. They all knew that they needed to leave, and soon.

Thomas was lying on his bed, dark thoughts swimming through his brain. For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, he tried to call the sides. Of course, he had no luck. He felt as if he was self-destructing and couldn’t do a thing about it. He couldn’t even bring himself to text his friends.

Hours later, at around noon, he heard his front door swing open. Immediately, he worried that there was an intruder in his house. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, but the movement made his head swim, and he was forced to lie back down. He heard footsteps dashing up the stairs, and tried to find something to defend himself with. Then, he heard a familiar voice.

“Thomas?” Joan called, before stepping cautiously into the man’s room. Thomas groaned, he had forgotten that he’d given them a key. Talyn stood beside them, looking just as concerned. Quickly, the two went to work. Joan went downstairs and put a can of soup in the microwave, and Talyn sat next to Thomas, telling him how worried they’d both been.

The human contact made his brain feel a bit less fuzzy.

The sides sat behind the cart, Logan murmuring to himself in the corner. Patton shook, still freezing cold. Suddenly, there was a loud _crash._ The four of them stood up, searching for the source of the noise. A nearby booth had fallen apart. They could hear the creaking of wood, and turned to see the rollercoaster falling in on itself.

“Does this mean what I think it means?” asked Patton, hope beginning to shimmer in his eyes. The others had no idea, but started to hope as well. The colors around them seemed to grow brighter, and shadows were chased away by a new bright light. The voice squealed and cried in Roman and Virgil’s heads, but they ignored it. The carnival around them was falling apart.

Clouds and nighttime gave way to a bright blue sky and a shining sun. The light around them grew brighter and brighter, almost to the point where they couldn’t see anything anymore, they had to close their eyes to block it out-

And they were back.

Virgil against the wall, Patton in a heap on the floor, Logan huddled on the table, and Roman standing defensively next to him. Their injuries had not disappeared.

They could feel a slight tugging, and knew that Thomas was calling them. The four shared a panicked look, he couldn’t see them like this. Roman took a proud stance.

“I’ll go. I’m the least visibly hurt,” he explained, before sinking out and appearing in front of Thomas.

“Roman, where have you guys been? Where are the others? And what happened to you, your shirt is a mess!” Thomas exclaimed, staring at the princely figure.

“Fear not! Your temporary isolating feelings had us…preoccupied, but I promise we will be back in shape soon!” He quickly sunk out, ignoring Thomas’ protests. Back in the common room, the others looked anxiously at him. “He doesn’t suspect a thing!” Virgil rolled his eyes in response, and even Logan raised a questioning eyebrow. Patton quickly dismissed their doubts, and told them all to go get cleaned up.

The emotional side himself went to his room, and walked to the bathroom, knowing that he needed to take a warm shower. However, when he turned the knob and saw the water rushing towards him, Patton started to shake. He turned the faucet off, and raced out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him as if some sort of monster was chasing him. He couldn’t deal with showering, not right now anyway. He would have to settle for warm, dry clothes. In the mirror of his room, he saw the dark bruise that was starting to take shape on his forehead.

Roman changed into a clean outfit, and made a sling for his arm. He wasn’t entirely sure how to treat a dislocated shoulder, but he knew he couldn’t just let it be. Although Logan probably knew what he was supposed to do. Thinking of Logan made him nervous for the logical side, and Roman wondered if he was alright.

Virgil sighed, creating a new hoodie. It wasn’t as worn in as the first had been, but every single stitch was still there, and he was glad for the warmth it brought him. He created a makeshift cast for his leg, wincing at the pain coursing through his body. Then, he used a nail file to slowly cut through the cuffs on his wrists.

Logan walked into his bathroom, stopping as he saw his reflection on the mirror. That hideous monstrosity he had become. Logan hated what he saw. Slowly, with trembling fingers, he reached up to his cheek and pressed his nails into the wound that was already there. Even the small amount of pressure made him cry out in pain.

“Logan? Are you alright?!” Roman’s voice came from just outside his door. Of course, he couldn’t keep to himself, just had to go and worry about Logan. But the logical side did take his hand away from his face.

“Yes, Roman, I’m fine,” he replied. Sighing, he created a curtain that hung over his mirror, blocking his own reflection from his sight.

Once the four of them were done, they sat in the common room. Logan had quickly fixed Roman’s sling and Virgil’s cast, telling them that it would be a few months before they could stop wearing them. Roman was glad that his dominant hand was still free from the sling, and he used concealer to hide the dark bruise on Patton’s forehead. Using his bangs and the makeup, it was virtually impossible to tell that Patton had even been injured. Logan, however…

Clumps of his hair were missing, there was nothing to be done about that. They bandaged the gashes on his face, but the bandages weren’t exactly well-hidden.

They had no idea how Thomas would react, but decided that was a problem for another day. For now, they curled up on the couch together, arms protectively wrapped around each other.

So glad to be home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that happened...like I said, not really my current style but. figured i'd still post it.
> 
> hmu on tumblr @galacticallynonbinary


End file.
